Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2004 Chevrolet Silverado submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 152 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 152, in the owner's own words
INSTRUMENT PANEL/CLUSTER IS NO LONGER FUNCTIONING. SPEEDOMETER, TACHOMETER, OIL PRESSURE GAUGE AND SO ON ARE ERRATIC AND GIVING FALSE READINGS. DEALER IS NOT WILLING TO ASSIST. PLEASE ADVISE, RC, ESQUIRE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE DRIVER SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ECM BOX WAS DAMAGED AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE SAME FAILURE OCCURRED IN DECEMBER OF 2015. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,344.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE AT NIGHT TO DISPLAY PERTINENT INFORMATION, SUCH AS THE SPEEDOMETER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 277,638.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED ON THE VEHICLE. THE ODOMETER WORKED, BUT THE FUEL GAUGE AND ALL OTHER GAUGES FAILED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE EMITTED SMOKE AND THE CONTACT SMELLED BURNING WIRES. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000.
THE DASH INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILED AND DOES NOT READ A CORRECT TEMPERATURE NOR DOES THE OIL GAUGE READ CORRECTLY. THERE IS A CLICKING SOUND WITHIN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CONTINUOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR SERVICE AT THE GM COMPANY. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CLUSTER IS FAILING AND THE READING ARE NOT CORRECT ON THE DASHBOARD PANEL ARE NOR RIGHT. IT WILL REQUIRE REPLACEMENT. GM SAYS THAT THE SPECIAL RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM IS EXPIRED AND THEY WILL NOT FIX MY TRUCK. THE SPECIAL RECALL EXPIRED IN 2011. *TR
THE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE ON MY INSTRUMENT CLUSTER IS FAULTY. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AT ABOUT 75MPH WHEN I NOTICE IT WAS PEGGED OUT. I IMMEDIATELY PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURN MY TRUCK OFF THINKING SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH MY OIL PRESSURE WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS THE GAUGE THAT WAS FAULTY. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, I FOUND OUT THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THEIR INSTRUMENT CLUSTERS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER, FUEL GUAGE, ODOMETER, PRESSURE AND THE HIGH/ LOW BEAM INDICATORS FAILED TO DISPLAY. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DUPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000. UPDATED 08/18/14*LJ UPDATED 09/5/2014 *JS
CHEVROLET SENT ME A NOTICE OF GUAGE FAILURE IN 2007 , AND SAID THEY WOULD REPLACE THEM IF THEY WERE NOT WORKING AS LONG AS THE MILAGE WAS UNDER 80000. THE PROBLEM WAS WHEN THEY SENT ME THE NOTICE MY GUAGES WERE WORKING, THEY CONTINUED TO WORK UNTIL AFTER I HAD 82000 THEN THEY STOPPED WORKING. I CALLED THE DEALER AND TOLD THEM AND THEY SAID I WAS OVER THE MILES REQ. I UNDERSTAND THERE WERE A LOT OF TRUCKS THAT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE FUEL GAUGE, TACHOMETER AND THE BATTERY CHARGE INDICATOR FAILED. ALSO, THE SPEEDOMETER WOULD ONLY OPERATE SPORADICALLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 141,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. THE CONTACT STATED THEY RECEIVED A LETTER APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR AGO FROM THE MANUFACTURER STATING THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WARRANTY WAS EXTENDED TO SEVEN YEARS AND 70,000 MILES. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED NOT TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN UNDER THE WARRANTY UNLESS THE FUEL GAUGE HAD COMPLETELY FAILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER HAD BEEN STUCK AT 120 MPH. LATER, THE SPEEDOMETER INDEPENDENTLY DROPPED BELOW ZERO AND REMAINED STUCK THERE. IN ADDITION, THE ENGINE RPM GAUGE WOULD FLUCTUATE SPORADICALLY BUT THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESPOND. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE FAILURES WERE NOT COVERED UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 116,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 117,000. UPDATED 7/18/12 *CN
THE INSTRUMENT PANEL STOPPED WORKING ON MY 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. I FOUND LOTS OF COMPLAINTS ON THIS PROBLEM ONLINE. WHEN I CALLED THE LOCAL DEALER TO SEE ABOUT GETTING MY VEHICLE FIXED THEY ADVISED EVEN THOUGH THE MILEAGE WAS OLD IT WAS 4 MONTH TO OLD TO BE COVERED BY THE FIX. THEY KNOW THEY SOLD VEHICLES WITH BAD INSTRUMENT PANELS BUT ARE NOT FIXING THE PROBLEM. *TR
TACHOMETER, SPEEDOMETER AND TEMPERATURE GAUGE FAILURES. *TR
WELL I BOUGHT THE 2004 SILVERADO TRUCK IN JUNE OF 2011 AND I NOTICED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER STUTTER A LITTLE BIT GOING EACH WAY. THEN JUST RECENTLY I EXPERIENCED THE SPEEDOMETER JUST STOP WORKING BY GETTING STUCK AT 30MPH. I PULLED OVER THE TRUCK AND TURNED IT OF TO MAYBE RESET THE SYSTEM BUT EVEN WITH THE TRUCKED TURNED OFF THE SPEEDOMETER WAS STILL AT 30MPH. I TRIED HITTING THE DASH A COUPLE OF TIMES TO SEE IF THAT WOULD WORK. IT DIDN'T WORK SO I TRIED DRIVING SOME MORE AND THE SPEEDOMETER SAID I WAS DOING 90MPH WHEN I WAS ONLY GOING 65MPH BECAUSE I HAD ANOTHER PERSON ON THE ROAD TELL ME THEY WERE GOING 65PMH. I EVEN TRIED TO HIT THE BRAKES MULTIPLE TIMES TO GET THE NEEDLE TO DROP BELOW 30MPH. IT PARTICIALLY WORKED BY MAKING IT GO DOWN BUT THEN IT GOT STUCK AT 10MPH EVEN WITH THE TRUCK TURNED OFF. SO I CAME HOME AND CHECKED THE RECALLS FOR MY MODEL TRUCK AND YEAR AND APPARENTLY THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT ONLY FOR VEHICLES UNDER 70000 MILES WHICH I THINK ISN'T RIGHT BECAUSE ITS A FAILURE WITH YOUR ELECTRICAL CLUSTERS THAT YOU KNOW IS THERE BUT WONT FIX WHICH MAKES IT NOT LOOK GOOD FOR YOU DESIGNERS. I AM A DIESEL MECHANIC AND I WOULD TELL PEOPLE THAT THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. *TR
THE SPEEDOMETER STOPPED SHOWING ACCURATE SPEED, ODOMETER STILL WORKS. WE TOOK THE TRUCK IN FOR SERVICE AND FOUND THAT IT THE FAILURE WAS A COMMON OCCURRENCE, BUT NOT COVERED UNDER ANY WARRANTY OR RECALL. THE COST OF REPAIR WAS APPROXIMATELY $500.00. WE NOW USE GARMIN FOR SPEED CONTROL.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. THE CONTACT STATED THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY REMOVED THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FOR INSPECTION. ONCE THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS INSTALLED BACK IN THE VEHICLE, THE PANEL OPERATED AS NORMAL WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE OIL PRESSURE WARNING GAUGE. THE DEALER DID NOT REPLACE THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WITH A NEW ONE NOR WERE THERE ANY REPAIRS PERFORMED. THE CONTACT SPOKE TO THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE FAILURE WAS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THE YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL BUT THE MANUFACTURER WAS ONLY WILLING TO ASSIST WITH REPAIRS ON THOSE VEHICLE WITH 75,000 MILES OR LESS. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 82,000.
SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING. ODOMETER IS STILL WORKING.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER ON HIS VEHICLE WAS FAULTY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT INSTEAD OF JUST REPAIRING THE SPEEDOMETER, THEY NEEDED TO REPLACED THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE FAILURE BUT WERE UNABLE TO HELP SINCE THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 98,000. UPDATED 3/14/11 *CN THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED CHEVROLET WOULD REPLACE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER UP TO 5,000 MILES AND THEY WOULD BILL THE CONSUMER $500-700 TO HAVE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER REPLACED SINCE THE VEHICLE HAD OVER 95,000 MILES. UPDATED 03.21.11.
ODOMETER FAILER. 2004 CHEVY SILVERADO. 61,966 MILES. *TR
SPEEDODOMETER CHANGES AND MAY BE CORRECT, NEXT TIME MAY SHOW OFF 5 MILES AN HOUR, NEXT TIME MAY BE OFF 60 MILES AN HOUR, MAY BE FAST, MAY BE SLOW. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ON JANUARY 15, 2010, HE NOTICED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER DID NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WAS DEFECTIVE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE AUTHORIZED DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WHO BOTH STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 91,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 98,560.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH AND THE SPEEDOMETER INDICATED THE MILEAGE AS 0 MPH. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE AUTHORIZED DEALER WAS INFORMED TWICE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS RECALLED. THEY STATED THAT IF THE VEHICLE WAS NOT BROKEN THEY WEREN'T REPAIRING IT. ONE YEAR LATER HE TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER BECAUSE HE STARTED EXPERIENCING THE FAILURE WITH THE SPEEDOMETER AND STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT REPAIR THE FAILURE BECAUSE HE WAS OVER THE MILE RESTRICTION ON THE WARRANTY. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE CONTACT WOULD INDEED HAVE TO REPAIR HIS VEHICLE AT HIS OWN EXPENSE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 110000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. HE STATED THAT ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE SPEEDOMETER, OIL PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT AND RPM LIGHT COMPONENTS BECAME INOPERABLE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED REPLACING THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL AT THE OWNER'S EXPENSE. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE SPEED, FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE UNKNOWN DUE TO THE FAILURE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL.
THE SPEEDOMETER SUDDENLY GOES TO 120 MPH AND STICKS THERE. IT WILL RESET ITSELF WITHIN 3 DAYS (USUALLY) BUT IS HAPPENING MORE OFTEN NOW. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED SHE NOTICED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER MOVED FROM 0 TO 120 MPH WITHOUT THE VEHICLE MOVING. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE SPEEDOMETER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS AND THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN SERVICED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 154000.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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